WHEREAS, Health care districts were created after World War II to address a shortage of access to acute hospital care for many areas of the state, particularly the rural areas of California; and

WHEREAS, The first health care district was formed in 1946 and the first district hospital opened in 1947; and

WHEREAS, Today there are 78 health care districts in California; 40 health care districts currently operate 43 district hospitals; and

WHEREAS, Their primary mission has not changed, which is to provide health services to the communities that created them; and

WHEREAS, District hospitals make up 26 of the state’s rural hospitals and 20 of the state’s critical access hospitals; and

WHEREAS, District hospitals provided $71 million in charity care in 2013, offering financial support to community programs focused on the health and well-being of the children and adults in the districts; and

WHEREAS, Fifty health care districts operate in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a medically underserved population; and

WHEREAS, Health care districts collectively provide the following services: acute care, emergency care, skilled nursing or long-term care, community and rural health clinics, ambulance services, adult day care, senior housing and nutritional support, chronic disease management, health education, medical transportation, home health, and hospice; and

WHEREAS, Health care districts cover 49,354 square miles of the state, provide services in 40 counties, employ around 32,000 employees, and see more than 4,000,000 patient visits annually; and

WHEREAS, Health care districts are formed by the will of the people, with board members elected and accountable to their communities. Health care districts are often supported in part by local tax dollars to improve community health; and

WHEREAS, Health care districts serve as an integral part of the safety net for the state’s underinsured or uninsured; and

WHEREAS, In 2013, health care districts treated approximately 1.4 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries, or 9 percent of the statewide total; and

WHEREAS, Each health care district is uniquely focused on the specific needs of the community it serves; and

WHEREAS, Health care districts utilize a varying revenue stream, workforce size, services offered, and geographic locations to cater to the health services most needed by their communities; now, therefore, be it